From left to right: Kumar Padmapani Bora IRS, Managing Director, Assam Tourism Development corporation (ATDC) with Mr. Gaurav Pokhariyal, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, IHCL and Jayanta Das, Cluster GM - North East, IHCL

MUMBAI, OCTOBER 18, 2022: Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company, has signed a MoU with the Assam Government to establish a hospitality-focused skills training centre in the North East, in line with the company’s ESG+ framework, Paathya. The state-of-the-art residential Centre of Excellence will be developed in collaboration with Assam Tourism Development Corporation Limited (ATDCL), Tata STRIVE Skill Development Initiative of Tata Community Initiative Trust (TCIT) and the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, with the aim to develop talent from economically weaker and socially disadvantaged local communities.

Speaking about this development, Mr. Gaurav Pokhariyal, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, IHCL, stated, “The state of Assam, known for its natural beauty and rich history is also home to immense local talent. Given the growing potential of tourism and hospitality, there is significant opportunity to leverage the untapped potential of talent in the region, and we are honoured to collaborate with the Assam Government and our partners to develop a hospitality-focused skilling centre. At IHCL, community lies at the heart of all that we do, and this training will help to bridge the employability gap in the years to come.”

Located at the Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change & Development (OKD Institute) near Guwahati, the residential skilling centre will undertake skills training for youth from the North East across various hospitality segments. The short- and long-term courses, aligned with the requirements of the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and developed in partnership with Tata STRIVE, will offer industry knowledge that is required for employment and entrepreneurship within the hospitality sector. Post successful completion of training, the youth will also have the opportunity for internships at select IHCL hotels.

In addition to supporting the maintenance of the training infrastructure, IHCL will provide equipment for the training labs along with Tata STRIVE, in addition to basic content and subject matter expertise (SME) to support TATA STRIVE. MSDE and ATDCL will provide financial and infrastructural support to the Centre of Excellence for a period of 10 years, post which the center is slated to become self-sustainable.

Regarded as the custodian of Indian hospitality, IHCL continues to invest in building industry-relevant talent pools with an aim to develop and support deserving youth and their families, while contributing to the overall growth of the industry, as part of the Paathya framework.

Derived from the Sanskrit term पथ्य, inferring a path, Paathya aims to lead positive change guided by IHCL’s core values of Trust of all stakeholders, Awareness around the needs of our ecosystem and Joy at heart.

Under Paathya, IHCL will continue to pioneer sustainable practices in its pursuit towards excellence and creating benchmark in the tourism industry.

About The Indian Hotels Company Limited

The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and its subsidiaries bring together a group of brands and businesses that offer a fusion of warm Indian hospitality and world-class service. These include Taj – the iconic brand for the most discerning travellers and ranked as the World’s Strongest Hotel Brand and India’s Strongest Brand as per Brand Finance Hotels 50 Report 2022 and India 100 Report 2022,

respectively; SeleQtions, a named collection of hotels; Vivanta, sophisticated upscale hotels; and Ginger, which is revolutionising the lean luxe segment.

Incorporated by the founder of the Tata Group, Jamsetji Tata, the Company opened its first hotel - The Taj Mahal Palace, in Bombay in 1903. IHCL has a portfolio of 245 hotels including 65 under development globally across 4 continents, 11 countries and in over 100 locations. The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is India’s largest hospitality company by market capitalization. It is primarily listed on the BSE and NSE.

Please visit: www.ihcltata.com; www.tajhotels.com; www.seleqtionshotels.com; www.vivantahotels.com; www.gingerhotels.com

For more information, please contact:  nairita.ghosh@ihcltata.com